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Whole grains are high in fiber, rich in minerals and good for your digestive system. They add bulk to your diet, helping you feel full and satisfied between meals so you are less tempted to snack. When choosing between food made with wheat or oat bran, consider the nutrients you want to get the most of. Wheat bran is generally more nutritious, but oat bran is superior in some ways.

Weight Control

If you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight, wheat may be more beneficial than oats. A cup of wheat bran has 125 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, while a cup of oat bran has 231 calories and 6.5 grams of fat. Wheat bran is higher in fiber, with 25 grams per cup compared to oat bran's 14.5 grams. Oat bran has more protein, but overall, wheat bran is more conducive to weight loss.

B-Complex Vitamins

Both types of bran provide an array of B-complex vitamins, particularly thiamin and riboflavin, which work together to help your body produce energy. A cup of oat bran has 100 percent of your recommended daily intake for thiamin, while wheat bran provides about 25 percent. Wheat bran gives you more riboflavin, offering one-third of your daily requirement, while oat bran gives you about one-fifth. Wheat bran provides more than half the niacin and vitamin B-6 you need each day and oat bran provides less than 10 percent of each.

Minerals

The two bran types are similar in mineral content, each giving you nearly all the magnesium and phosphorus, and about 10 percent of the calcium and potassium you need daily. Wheat and oat bran have 6 and 5 milligrams of iron, respectively. The Institute of Medicine recommends that men get 8 milligrams of iron per day and that women get 18, so either is a rich source of iron. Wheat bran provides half a woman's RDI for zinc and about 40 percent of a man's, while oat bran provides 35 percent of the zinc a woman needs and 25 percent of the zinc a man needs.

Antioxidant Capability

Although wheat and oat bran are low in antioxidant vitamins, both contain phytochemicals with antioxidant properties, according to Cornell University researchers who published a study in "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in 2002. The researchers concluded that antioxidant phytochemicals in whole grains may partly explain the link between whole grain intake and lower rates of cancers of the colon, breast, prostate and digestive system. In 2004, Spanish researchers published a study in the same journal, reporting that cereals made with wheat bran contain stronger antioxidants than cereals made with oat bran.

About the Author

Maia Appleby is a NASM-certified personal trainer with more than 15 years of experience in the fitness industry. Her articles have been published in a wide variety of print magazines and online publications, including the Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health, New Moon Network and Bodybuilding.com.